Eight bus firms lose franchise

The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) has cancelled the franchise to operate of eight bus companies found to have no terminals for their buses.

The bus companies were identified as JEL Transport, Northzone Transport, Philippine Corinthian Liner, Lippad Bus Transport operated by Julieta Lippad, and the bus company operations of Alberto Carating, Belinda Claro, and Edgardo Meneses.

Taken together, the cancellation of the franchise of all eight companies would result to the non-operation of more than a hundred of their aggregate buses, mostly plying the lucrative EDSA route.

The cancellation of their franchise came as a result of a campaign conducted by the LTFRB against passenger buses that have no terminals in proper locations, which is a requirement for the granting of a franchise to an operator by the LTFRB.

In the case of the eight bus companies found to have no terminals, most of their operators have their buses parked at gasoline stations or in alleys and other roads becoming "eyesores" and impediments to traffic flow.

It was learned that the eight erring bus companies would have to apply again for a franchise to operate with the LTFRB but would have to satisfy the requirement of a terminal area for their buses in the future. – Rainier Allan Ronda